Most popular athlete IN THE WORLD ever to wear no. 23: Jordan or Beckham?

It seems like some people have gone off course from the original question, which was, [I]'Most popular athlete IN THE WORLD ever [B]to wear no. 23[/B]: Jordan or Beckham?'[/I].

When I think of David Beckham, I don't think of the number 23, I never have and probably never will. The reason that Beckham wears that number is because of Jordan. The person I associate with the number 23 is Jordan. Most football fans will remember Beckham for wearing the number 7 for Man U.

Also, Beckham is not famous for that number nor is he associated with that number often, unlike Jordan who was always associated with that number. Essentially, Beckham is probably the most popular person to wear that number, but he is not associated with it nearly as much as Jordan. When you think of the number 23, you will think of Jordan first, not Beckham.

If we're talking about popularity as a whole (which was not the question by the way) then Beckham would most likely win. Though, as someone mentioned before, if you ask a random person to name a famous basketball player the most frequent answer will be Jordan, where as if you ask someone to name a famous football player, Beckham might not even be in the top 3 of frequently given answers. But, that doesn't mean that Jordan is more popular than Beckham, by any stretch of the imagination.

[QUOTE=Kebab Stall]It seems like some people have gone off course from the original question, which was, [I]'Most popular athlete IN THE WORLD ever [B]to wear no. 23[/B]: Jordan or Beckham?'[/I].

When I think of David Beckham, I don't think of the number 23, I never have and probably never will. The reason that Beckham wears that number is because of Jordan. The person I associate with the number 23 is Jordan. Most football fans will remember Beckham for wearing the number 7 for Man U.

Also, Beckham is not famous for that number nor is he associated with that number often, unlike Jordan who was always associated with that number. Essentially, Beckham is probably the most popular person to wear that number, but he is not associated with it nearly as much as Jordan. When you think of the number 23, you will think of Jordan first, not Beckham.

If we're talking about popularity as a whole (which was not the question by the way) then Beckham would most likely win. Though, as someone mentioned before, if you ask a random person to name a famous basketball player the most frequent answer will be Jordan, where as if you ask someone to name a famous football player, Beckham might not even be in the top 3 of frequently given answers. But, that doesn't mean that Jordan is more popular than Beckham, by any stretch of the imagination.[/QUOTE]

As discussed in earlier posts that yes Jordan is more synonymous with 23 but what you had bolded actually wasn't the point of my Q. Look back to the title and I had capitalized "In The World".
So really what I'm trying to pose is who's more popular between Becks and Jordan. I just tried to snazz the title up and refenrence an old article i've read.

It's an easy answer if any of you guys ever travel outside the usa, I had a hard time finding a basketball hoop in some of the asia country...

[QUOTE=hateraid]As discussed in earlier posts that yes Jordan is more synonymous with 23 but what you had bolded actually wasn't the point of my Q. Look back to the title and I had capitalized "In The World".
So really what I'm trying to pose is who's more popular between Becks and Jordan. I just tried to snazz the title up and refenrence an old article i've read.[/QUOTE]
Well then, the title is misleading.

If we are talking about popularity as a whole, then I'll stick to what I said in the final paragraph of my previous post.

^as kebab points out, beckham isn't universally associated with wearing #23, and it's really a minor thing when discussing him.

but generally speaking, he's the biggest hype machine in history of sports.
very few countries have a bigger basketball following than football following, and although jordan is surely the most famous basketball player ever, i doubt he's more famous on the world scale. there are so many countries that don't give a **** about basketball (africa, asia almost on the whole) in comparison to the football.

beckham also became a worldwide celebrity outside the football too much more than jordan. marriage with victoria, fashion stuff, etc...every woman in the world knows who david beckham is, which i wouldn't be so sure to say for jordan.

so i'd say in worldwide appeal and fame, women's votes (along with asia and africa) win it for becks. worldwide you're much, much more likely to meet women who never heard of jordan than who never heard of beckham.

[QUOTE=Kebab Stall]Well then, the title is misleading.

If we are talking about popularity as a whole, then I'll stick to what I said in the final paragraph of my previous post.[/QUOTE]

Lol, that's where my North American ignorance comes in. I've really only associated Beckham with 23. You guys must laugh alot about our ignorance when it comes to futball.

[QUOTE=hateraid]Lol, that's where my North American ignorance comes in. I've really only associated Beckham with 23. You guys must laugh alot about our ignorance when it comes to futball.[/QUOTE]
I'm gussing that when that the majority of Americans, or the non football fans over in the States, only really knew who Beckham was once he signed with Madrid, which was when he changed his number to 23.

[url]http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/basketball/nba/1999/jordan_retires/news/1999/01/13/deford/[/url]

A good article on MJ's popularity

[QUOTE]

By now, is not Jordan a figure as cultural as he is athletic? Even several years ago, for example, in a vote of Chinese students, he tied Chou En-lai as "the world's greatest man." And, most people would ask, whatever happened to this Chou En-lai? Nowadays it is blithely accepted that the tall, dark and bald young man has become the most familiar face on the planet Earth, that with the death of Diana, princess of Wales, Michael Jeffrey Jordan, late of Wilmington, N.C., has become the First Celebrity of the World, positively ubiquitous, the human Hard Rock Cafe T-shirt. [/QUOTE]

Of course this was written almost 10 years ago, so the new generation of sports fans may not remember him or have never seen him.

[QUOTE=hateraid]I read thing magazine article a while back and it presented the most popular athlete in any sport to wear a particular number. This article was a while back and at the time Jordan was considered number one at the time to wear number 23. This was in SI so it may have been a little bias and now it's 2008. On a world-wide level of all-time, who is the more popular athlete:

Michael Jordan or David Beckham?[/QUOTE]

since Beckham chose 23 with Real Madrid to capitalize on Jordan's popularity,I think we know the answer.

[QUOTE=Sharas]^as kebab points out, beckham isn't universally associated with wearing #23, and it's really a minor thing when discussing him.

but generally speaking, he's the biggest hype machine in history of sports.
very few countries have a bigger basketball following than football following, and although jordan is surely the most famous basketball player ever, i doubt he's more famous on the world scale. there are so many countries that don't give a **** about basketball (africa, [B]asia almost on the whole[/B]) in comparison to the football.

beckham also became a worldwide celebrity outside the football too much more than jordan. marriage with victoria, fashion stuff, etc...every woman in the world knows who david beckham is, which i wouldn't be so sure to say for jordan.

so i'd say in worldwide appeal and fame, women's votes (along with asia and africa) win it for becks. worldwide you're much, much more likely to meet women who never heard of jordan than who never heard of beckham.[/QUOTE]

NBA Basketball is more popular in China, Taiwan, The Philippines and Korea than any pro soccer league could ever dream of being, including their own domestic ones.

I'd say beckham is more popular for 5 reasons,

1. Football or soccer is a more worldwide game.
2. hes a media whore who will sell anything.
3. his of the pitch life gains more attention then what he does on it.
4.he and his wife will appear to be friends with all/ any celebrities.
5. he is also viewed as a "sex" icon

but when you compare them as athletes and what they accomplished

Jordan>>>>>beckham (and its not even close)

WARNIE!!!

[IMG]http://www.bbc.co.uk/hampshire/content/images/2007/02/27/shane_warne_nov06_203_203x152.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://www.cricinfo.com/db/PICTURES/CMS/13500/13516.jpg[/IMG]

I like all of the arrogant European people on here saying "WELL ITS OBVIOUS THAT YOU AMERICANS WOULD SAY JORDAN!"



Jordan was in like 50 movies, what about Beckham? How about you arrogant FOGBREATHERS (I made that one up for British people) think outside of the UK and realize that just because he was a soccer star in YOUR country it doesn't mean that the other soccer fan countries cared about him (Brazil, Venezuela etc)

Kim Jong Il even knows about Jordan. Nobody in Asia gives a **** about Soccer, they're all about their basketball leagues and the NBA. Beckham is popular in Europe, that's it. You come in here talking about how arrogant Americans are thinking that Jordan is more popular because more Americans know about him and then because Beckham is from England and that he plays soccer that he's automatically more well known because Europeans know about him. Your continent isn't the entire world, get over yourselves.



Arrogant American says Jordan, hands down because of Asia and Pacific Island countries. It's not even close.

[QUOTE=Geandily]I like all of the arrogant European people on here saying "WELL ITS OBVIOUS THAT YOU AMERICANS WOULD SAY JORDAN!"



Jordan was in like 50 movies, what about Beckham? How about you arrogant FOGBREATHERS (I made that one up for British people) think outside of the UK and realize that just because he was a soccer star in YOUR country it doesn't mean that the other soccer fan countries cared about him (Brazil, Venezuela etc)

Kim Jong Il even knows about Jordan. Nobody in Asia gives a **** about Soccer, they're all about their basketball leagues and the NBA. Beckham is popular in Europe, that's it. You come in here talking about how arrogant Americans are thinking that Jordan is more popular because more Americans know about him and then because Beckham is from England and that he plays soccer that he's automatically more well known because Europeans know about him. [B]Your continent isn't the entire world, get over yourselves.[/B]



Arrogant American says Jordan, hands down because of Asia and Pacific Island countries. It's not even close.[/QUOTE]
That's delightful coming from a yank.

[QUOTE=Kebab Stall]That's delightful coming from a yank.[/QUOTE]
Agreed.

[QUOTE=JtotheIzzo]NBA Basketball is more popular in China, Taiwan, The Philippines and Korea than any pro soccer league could ever dream of being, including their own domestic ones.[/QUOTE]

i know what you're saying but still, everything included, much, much more people globally watch football than basketball.

and even though becks isn't in GOAT discussions in his sport, he's among the most famous footballers ever if not the most famous one. i bet right now more people who don't follow the sport recognize him than say, pele. he is a celebrity in more ways than one. wikipedia says that his name was the most searched sport topic on google in 2003 and 2004 consecutively.

[QUOTE=Kebab Stall]That's delightful coming from a yank.[/QUOTE]

Thanks for proving my point :D


Here's my point in plain English(American) for you to understand:


All of you Euros are calling Americans arrogant for saying that Jordan is more popular than Beckham, then I call you out on the fact that you Euros only think Beckham is more popular because he's from Europe and then told you to get over yourselves, noting the fact that you had completely disregarded what people in Asia and South America think. Then you replied with this, bravo good sir!

Jordan's been out of the game for some time now. It wouldn't be surprising if he's less popular nowadays than his heydays, but I guarantee he was one of the most recognizable names in the world in the 90's. And this was without the information boom that came with the internet.

Typical western hemisphere thinking, the "logical" Americans think that Bechkam is more popular because they think of Soccer as the "world sport" (IE it's played in every Western Hemisphere country) whereas Jordan is only an NBA star (only played in the US & Canada)

Everyone on here forgot about Asia & the pacific island countries, once again proving the fact that European and American culture is nearly identical.



Edit: Me (possibly) proving myself wrong, [url]http://www.googlefight.com/index.php?lang=en_GB&word1=Micheal+Jordan&word2=David+Beckham[/url]

If we're talking all time, it's not really that close. Michael Jordan's legacy is more popular than David Beckham. Of course, that's in America, I'm not sure how the rest of the world views Beckham. I still would think MJ wins this one.

[QUOTE=Geandily]Thanks for proving my point :D


Here's my point in plain English(American) for you to understand:


All of you Euros are calling Americans arrogant for saying that Jordan is more popular than Beckham, then I call you out on the fact that you Euros only think Beckham is more popular because he's from Europe and then told you to get over yourselves, noting the fact that you had completely disregarded what people in Asia and South America think. Then you replied with this, bravo good sir![/QUOTE]
I never once said that Beckham is more popular than Jordan, just because he is European, so you can forget about calling me out on that. You can call others out who have mentioned it, but not me since I never mentioned such a thing.

I also never called any American arrogant for saying Jordan > Beckham in terms of popularity.

You might want to re-read my first post in this thread, or better yet you might want to read it for the first time since you probably haven't even read it at all judging by your ignorant and rude comments.

But Jordan's legacy with his shoes and items is the difference maker. Even in HK, Japan, Air Jordans are an fashionable items and you can see it all over the streets.

In the North America, Jordan's popularity blows away Beckhams,

but I think even in the most diehard of soccer countries, Beckhams popularity doesn't blow away Jordans (at least not as big a gap as Jordan over Beckham in the states)

Jordan more popular slightly I think.

[QUOTE=Kebab Stall]I never once said that Beckham is more popular than Jordan, just because he is European, so you can forget about calling me out on that. You can call others out who have mentioned it, but not me since I never mentioned such a thing.

I also never called any American arrogant for saying Jordan > Beckham in terms of popularity.

You might want to re-read my first post in this thread, or better yet you might want to read it for the first time since you probably haven't even read it at all judging by your ignorant and rude comments.[/QUOTE]

Read your first post and all of the other ones, me calling you out is still pretty applicable, you said that Beckham is probably more popular than Jordan and I explained why he's not and why you think that he is.





As for me proving myself wrong with the Googlefight thing: I FOUND A FLAW! People that watch Soccer(in the US) are more likely to be rich yuppies trying to act culturally aware, and thus more likely to be able to afford a computer and thus more likely to google his name (probably to buy a coffee mug with his face on it) "Look honey! I got that European F

it really depends on what how you define popularity. many football fans consider him overrated, overhyped and man utd fans consider him the traitor for bolting to real and so on.

but in worldwide terms, if we're talking about sheer fame, i still think football's bigger overall popularity (hell, the whole world watched the 1998 game vs argentina where he was sent off if nothing else) along with women (victoria and fashion stuff) tip it to beckham's advantage.
i think you could find more people in this world who doesn't know who jordan is than beckham.

Typical arrogant western hemisphere thinking, people in China watch the NBA all the time, shouldn't we watch their crazy ripoff of the NFL? Complete with slightly edited uniforms and team names?



Beckham is more popular in the western hemisphere but in the world? Jordan by far!

[QUOTE=Geandily]

Seeing as how people in China aren't allowed to use google for certain things[/QUOTE]

i really doubt michael jordan is one of them, you know.

and just FYI, i caught that "before we nuke you" remark before you edited it. so you really aren't in the situation to call anyone out about arrogance and hostility.

I think you would need to define popular, becuase there's a difference between these two scenarios:

1. Walk down the street and ask a random person 'Do you know Jordan/Beckham?"

2. Walk down the street and ask a random person 'Do you support Jordan/Beckham?'

Because the word popular, to me, seems to imply support and fandom rather than simply knowledge. I would say that more people supported Beckham than Jordan, but more people know Jordan than Beckham.

As for the actual question, no doubt that Jordan was more popular when wearing number 23, Beckham made his fame with no. 7.

Oh yeah, and things that are blocked by the Great Firewall of China are things like 'Democracy', 'Freedom' , 'Fulong something' you know, things contrary to the ideals of the Chinese government, I seriously doubt Michael Jordan is one of them.

[QUOTE]
NBA Basketball is more popular in China, Taiwan, The Philippines and Korea than any pro soccer league could ever dream of being, including their own domestic ones. [/QUOTE]

In Hong Kong (and I think China), basketball and football are probably 1a and 1b, the difference in popularity is miniscule (but we still suck at both in the olympics). But football gets a heck lot more coverage on tv, there is, what, 1 or 2 basketball games on the public tv airways (if lucky!) and about a football game every week (whenever it's the FC cup this, Championship that) and you can just take a look at the news channels, in the sports sections they devote more time to football than basketball can ever dream of.

ding ding ding thread decision:


America wins (as always)

[QUOTE=Geandily]I didn't mean to edit that out, sorry!




Sit down before we nuke you, you filthy, filthy fogbreathers.


edit: I guess you're already sitting down, When certain things are restricted by google, why would somebody living in China want to use it at all? Wouldn't they want to use a third party search engine instead?

I like how you resort to nitpicking when you realize that your entire argument has gone down the loo(I just made that word up, it's American for terlet)


Edit 2(after Brantonli's post below):Googlefight proving my point that people in China dont use google:

[url]http://www.googlefight.com/index.php?lang=en_GB&word1=Yao+Ming&word2=Michael+Jordan[/url][/QUOTE]

you can ramble about china and google as long as you want.
how many people in the world watch world cup and CL finals in comparison to any NBA finals ever played? how many people watched england-argentina games in 1998 and 2002, when beckham was sent off and scored a penalty respectively? it isn't even a valid comparison.
add beckham being victoria's husband and one of biggest sex and fashion icons amongst women worldwide and there lies your answer.

ask yourself, why did LA galaxy paid him 200 millions in a country that doesn't even care about football?

In the world...its David Beckham without question. I've seen the craziness with my own eyes.

I love the way geandily refers to europe in such a vague way, care to name what countries in particluar jordan is more famous then beckham?

btw Jordan >>>>>>>>>>>>beckham IMO

[QUOTE=Kebab Stall]That's delightful coming from a yank.[/QUOTE]
stfu you Ringo-sucker

[QUOTE=The Bynuminator]stfu you Ringo-sucker[/QUOTE]
:confusedshrug:

[QUOTE=Kebab Stall]:confusedshrug:[/QUOTE]
[IMG]http://www.topnews.in/light/files/ringo-starr.jpg[/IMG]

I'll say Jordan..especially at his peeks.At their peeks,I don't think it's even close.

somewhat related threads

[b]Forbes:LeBron Is More Popular Than Kobe & Jordan[/b]

[url]http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showthread.php?t=91224&page=2[/url]

[b]Does basketball have the most active mega-stars of any sport in the USA?[/b]

[url]http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showthread.php?t=91247[/url]

[QUOTE=Geandily]ding ding ding thread decision:


America wins (as always)[/QUOTE]

[IMG]http://failsalon.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/missionfail2.jpg[/IMG]

Nothing against my American friends, just this guy is a dick :oldlol:

Something interesting written on Jordan after his last game with the Bulls,basically 10 years ago...

[quote]'That was God disguised as Michael Jordan,'' said Larry Bird after the Chicago Bulls star scored 63 points against Bird's Celtics in a 1986 play-off game. And when God retires, the world grinds to a halt. Jordan's farewell to basketball, announced on Jan. 13, was stop-the-presses news, bumping minor incidents like the impeachment of the President back to page 37.

God is in fact somewhat less universally admired than Jordan, the most famous man in the world. [b]Adventurers who stumble into remote African villages or nomadic encampments in Mongolia find small children wearing the No. 23 Bulls jersey. His image is everywhere, and his miracles, like conjuring up last year's NBA championship with a last-minute steal and picture-perfect jump shot, are recited like chapter and verse. And then there's his awe-inspiring Midas touch. FORTUNE magazine estimated his cumulative economic impact -- tickets sold, NBA broadcast contracts fattened, products endorsed -- at $10 billion[/b]. [/quote]

[url]http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,274282,00.html[/url]

^^the only modern athlete that will get close to that kind of impact is Tiger

i heard that jordan is regarded as god status in china, more than yao , that's a lot of people.

I remeber bekham with the number 7..